Jimmy Kimmel Thinks Trump Should Watch ‘Sesame Street’

Jimmy Kimmel took President Trump to task for his proposed budget cuts.

ABC

March 17, 2017

Best of Late Night

By GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO

Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. What do you think of it? What else are you interested in? Let us know: thearts@nytimes.com.

Could Trump Learn From ‘Schoolhouse Rock’?

The late-show hosts took President Trump to task for the budget he released on Thursday that proposes eliminating funding for various arts and social programs. Jimmy Kimmel led the charge.

“There are a lot of cuts in the plan, including: PBS would be cut, Meals on Wheels would be cut, the National Endowment for the Arts would be cut. The guy who has three oil paintings of himself in his bathroom wants to cut the National Endowment for the Arts. And Meals on Wheels — how could that be? How can you cut Meals on Wheels? Meals on Wheels is out, but don’t worry, the golf trips to Mar-a-Lago every weekend, those will not stop.”

“Before he gets rid of ‘Sesame Street,’ I think we should make the president watch it a couple of times. That show teaches so many things he needs to know: which thing is bigger than the other, how to spell, the importance of telling the truth and sharing, listening to others. Maybe throw in some ‘Schoolhouse Rock,’ and he can find out how government works. Let’s get on that.”

Mr. Kimmel also gave a shout-out to Disney’s new movie, “Beauty and the Beast.” But that, too, was a swipe at the president.

“The live-action version of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ opens tomorrow. Now ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is the story of a beautiful woman from a small village who falls for a selfish, disgusting monster who lives in a palace filled with gold. Melania Trump is calling it the feel-good movie of the year.”

Psyched for Spring Training? Meyers Isn’t.

Most sports fans’ attention is on March Madness right now. (See the Punchiest Punchlines below.) But Major League Baseball spring training is also underway. You haven’t noticed? Seth Meyers isn’t surprised.

“Spring training? ‘Hey, everybody, I’m off to spend a week in Florida.’ ‘Oh, are you going to golf or go to the beach?’ ‘No, I’m going to watch some grown men stretch.’ News flash: Baseball is pretty boring when the games count. No one’s ever been like, ‘You know what I hate about baseball? The stakes are too high.’ Yet every spring people line up to watch their favorite stars give 80 percent for three innings. ‘All right, boys, look alive. This one’s for none of the marbles!’” — SETH MEYERS

The Punchiest Punchlines (March Madness Edition)

“Today was the start of March Madness. That’s right, President Trump released his new budget today.” — SETH MEYERS

“This is cool: I saw that John McCain filled out a March Madness bracket for ESPN. When asked about what he feels best about he said, ‘Arizona.’ When asked what pick he feels worst about he said, ‘Sarah Palin.’” — JIMMY FALLON

“Tomorrow is a great day to be Irish, a terrible day to be an Uber driver.” — JIMMY KIMMEL, talking about St. Patrick’s Day

The Bits Worth Watching

To get his St. Patrick’s Day lingo sorted out, Mr. Kimmel consulted his friend, the Northern Irish actor Jamie Dornan.

Have a Great Weekend

It’s the last weekend of winter — and it’s looking as if it’ll be a blustery one. Stay warm, and we’ll talk to you next week.

Also, Check This Out

Samara Golden’s “The Meat Grinder’s Iron Clothes” (2017).

Philip Greenberg for The New York Times

If you do make it out of the house, and you’re in the New York area, it’s worth checking out the Whitney Biennial, which opens today. It’s the first biennial since the Whitney Museum of American Art moved into its sleek new downtown digs, and the Times critic Roberta Smith writes that the exhibition “announces a new chapter of so-called political art.”